Lifting apparatus



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. YINDSHIP, OF BOSTON, llilASSAOHUSE.lTS. ly

Ll FTING APPARATUS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,945, dated September 12, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1,GEoReE B. WrNDsHlP, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Lifting Apparatus; and I do hereby de clare that the following is afull, clear, and cxact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings., forming a part of this specification, in which-'- y Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 isa top view. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged s. de view of thecar on which the weights are moved upon the graduated beam, and Fig. 5 is an eind view of the same. Fig. 6 is aplan of theunder side of the liftingyoke,'and Fig. 7 isaseotionof the same in the line Ivvof Fig. 6. Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the drawings.

Thenatureofmyinventonconsistsinthecombination of an adjustable lifting-yokaof'a pe- .culiarconstru`ction, with a graduated weighted lever, and various devices and arrangements whereby the apparatus is V readily adapted to the size and strength vof the person nsingit.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my ini'cntion, I will now proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same. y

A is araise? platform, of boards or planks, about four feet' square, placed upon the founda tion beams or planks C is the central beam, extending under the platforlnA and about four feet beyond, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. Attached to the four corners of the platform Aare upright studs lD D and E E, about six feet high, connected at their upper extremities, on the sides, by means ofthe bars or braces F F, the two front studs, E E, being also connected -by'means ofthe rod or bar G1, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The two front studs, E E, are also provided with lon gi-v tudinal slots I I, in which the ends of the horizont'al bar H move up and down, being supported at any required height by means of the "pins the said studs being provided withal series of holes a short` distance apart for the reception of the same.

Hinged .ata n to the uprights D D arestnds K K, provided with longitudinal slots L L for the reception of the rear ends of the Wooden.l

latter from slipping out of the slotsL L, the

frontv ends of the said bars being held at any, required distance apart by means of the pins jj, which may be placed in any one of a series ot'vertical holes in the horizontal bar H.

P is lan iron stud, fast to the'center ot' one end of the platform-A directly over the beam Gsaid stud being slotted for the reception of the lever O, which turns freely on the fulcrumpin h, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This lever O is a fiat bar of wroughtiron or other suit able material, ot the requisite length and strength, extending from the fulcrum forward over the center ofthe beam C to the end of the same, as represented in Figl; or the fulcrum may be changed from h to It', if desirable, thus converting the lever from the third kind tothe second. The lifting-point en the lever O may also obviously be changed ifever required.`

Attached to the front end of the beam C are two upright studs, M M, between which the lever O'playsvup and down with freedom. 'At the upper ends of the uprights M M, between vthe same, is apul1ey,.N,-whieh turns freely on the axle f, and over this pulley passes a rope, w, one end of which is attached to the lever() at c, the opposite end being attached tothe spiral spring fm, to whichA latter is appended the `weight X, the purposeof said weight being to oounterbalance the too great weight of the lever O when the exerciser wishes 'or is able tolift but little, while the springm takes off the jar occasioned by the sudden-rising of the weight X as the lever O is dropped, and also keeps the rope from beingthrownV oifthe pui; ley. 'lo still further ease the fall of the 'lever O, and also to deaden the noise of the same, I 'make use of a pad, g, of rubber or other-suitable elastic material, placed upon. the top of the beam C, as represented in Figs. land 2..

Sis the travlin g carriage, which sits astride the lever-Gon two friction-wheels, (represented bythe dotted lines in the enlarged drawing,

2 Y eases O is elevated or depressed. Pivoted to each end of the carriage S is a dog or arm, c, the

free end of which is pointed, so as to drop intov the holes in the top of thelevcr O, (see Fig.2,) i

and thereby prevent the carriage from meting `as the lever is elevated or allowed to drop by the exerciser, who is supposed to stand directly under the yoke T, facing the uprights M." In order to enable the exerciser while standing inthis position to readily move the carriage with its weights, so as to graduate the resistance which he may desire to overcome, I- make use of a small rope, Y, which,passing ruundA the pulley Z and d, is conlined at either end to the said dogs c t. When the rope Y is slackv the free epds of the said dogs will by their own weight drop into the holes in the top of the lever O, but if the end of the rope :attachedy to the dog nearest the exerciser is pulled, the,

said dog will be raised from the hole -in which it may happen to be, so that the carriage will be free to be drawn in that direction. By 'pulling down upon the said rope, over the pulley Z the opposite dbg will be raised and thecarrage will be free to be .drawn in the opposite direction.

The top ofthe beam C is graduated as represented in Fig. 2, so as to indicate to the exerciser the power required to raise the lever 0 when the carriage is in any given position.

T is a yoke, of wood or other suitable material, constructed substantially like yokes in general use for carrying pails of water, Snc. I employ, however, two pads or springs, r r, of india-rubber, placed across the concave or under side of the yoke and confined at both ends, so as to stretch upon the excrcisers shoulders and form for the same asoft, elastic bed.

U U are two large rings, of iron, which are placedon over the yokebetween the pins k ker kand-s, on either side, as represented in, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To each of vthese rings -U'is attached a chain, V, which is'terminated by a smaller ring, W.

Q is au iron rod, pivoted atg to the lever O, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, its lower end being expanded and divided centrally, so as to sit on over the said lever, a space beingleft between thetop of thelever and theA said rod, into which a rubber pad or spring, a', is placed, whiehhwill allow the rod to sway backward and forward to conform' to the position of the body of the exercscr, and then bring it (the rod) again into a vertical position. l

' The distance between g and h may be varied, if desirable.

Ris a nut or swivel, provided on is oppol site sides with two horns or handles, bent downward, onto which the rings R R are hooked, as represented in Fig. 3. This nut or swivel R screws easily up and down on the rod Q, so as to be adjusted to any required distance lfrom the top ofthe lever O, according to the height or.` the shoulders ofthe exerciser. On the upper end 'of 'the vrod iig is a head, rounded 'sons not to injure the lifters limbs Vor body in case they should come in contact with it.

The operation yof the apparatus is as follows: The yhorizontal bars or hand-rests J J being adjusted, by the means described above, the requisite yheight from l the platform A, and their front ends being fixed the proper distance apart, the exerciser places his shoulders and neck under and in the yoke and his arms through the large rings U U, and, facing the upright M. stands with one foot each side of the lever O, just back of the rod Q, so that the two chains V 'V shall pass diagonally across the front of the thighs. He then bends his knees a little, throws his body forward, placing his hands upon the bars .l J, and lifts. If he now wishes to increase or diminish the resistance, he has only to move the weighted car S toward or from him by means ot' the cord Y, as fully explained above.

The, purpose of having the rings U U so large is to enable the lifter to pass, his arms through them, so as to move them freely on the bars J J, bring the traction directly under his shoulders, and prevent his body from being thrown backward or forward too far.

Y This method of lifting secures a more general development and exercise of the body than l can be 4obtained by any other means, besides producing` specific effects of great importance in a medical point of view on several regions of the body, which are but little cdected by ordinary mechanical expediente. Instead of using a yoke, however, it is obvious that my apparatus is equally applicable to lifting by hand, a rope or chain with a suitable handle being attached to one of thehorns of the swivel Rfor that purpose. Having thusdescribed the natureand operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rllhe combination and arrangement ofthe weighted vlever 0, yoke fl?, and connectingchains -V V, or their equivalents, substantially as set forth, andfor' the purpose described.

2. The combi-nation and arrangement of the sliding car S,rope Y, and pulleys d z, or their equivalents, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose described. l i

.3. The dogs c c, attached to the car S and operating iu combination with the rope Y, and the holes in the top of the lever O, substantially as and for the I'mrpose'described.

4. The nut orswivel R and rod Q, in combination with the lever 0, chains V, and yoke T, or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

5. The employment of the rubber spring be tween' Athe top of the lever (land the rod Q,

l substantially as'andsfor'the purpose described.

6. The employment of the large rings or hooks U U, in combination with the yoke '.l, without the spring m,) and pulley N, when arfchains V V, and lever 0', substantially as and ranged and operating in combination with the for the purpose described.l A, lever O and lifting apparatus, substantially. as

7. The bars or handrets JdJ, ncgmbinset forth, arid for-the purpose described.

tion with the hinged an s ette uprig "esta s l K K and bar H, whereby said rests are reni G' B WINDSHIP dered, vertically and laterally adjustable, sub- Witnesses: stantially as and for the purpose described.. N. AMES,

8. The weight X, cord w, (either with or' W. A. ASEE. 

